1. Field of Invention
The Invention is generally directed to fluid flow control systems and, more particularly, to a system for preventing unwanted conductive fluid flow, particularly water flow, when ever a break in a conductive fluid line occurs.
2. Description of Related and Prior Art
The damage caused by water leaking from a broken water line in a house or building can be extensive and typically exceeds several thousand dollars per household. Water destroys carpet, drywall, hardwood floors, linoleum floors, etc. and can even cause floor foundation to warp. Water leaking into a home or building also can cause mold to grow in and around your walls and floors. Some of these molds have been known to cause serious medical problems and on rare occasions even death, for those who are exposed to it for an extended period of time. While the present inventor has no specific evidence as to how much water damage occurs in the U.S. alone each year, it is expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Accordingly, a need exists for a system that will minimize the water damage which results when a break in a home or buildings water line occurs. The seriousness of this problem is evidenced by the large volume of patents filed in the US alone.
By way of example U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,162, No. 5,967,171, No. 6,369,714 and No. 6,025,788; all disclose an automatic shut-off device that requires sensors that are placed under or around water dependent appliances, in order to detect water that has leaked from a pressurized water line and has reached the floor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,472 provides an apparatus which responds to the sensing of water leakage from a water line of a “hot water” system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,069 utilizes a wire embedded in insulation tape carrying leak detecting liquid sensing elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,561 No. 6,025,788 No. 6,186,162 No. 6,369,714 No. 6,489,895 No. 6,552,647 and US 2002/0033759 A1; all disclose an automatic shut-off device that requires sensors that are placed on floors, under or around water dependent appliances, or in leak prone areas, in order to detect water that has leaked from a pressurized water line and has reached the floor or surface area under a cabinet. These systems are only effective if the leak occurs at the exact location that the water sensor is located. If there were a leak in a cooper line where a fitting became weak and started to leak, these systems would not detect this leak until the (undesired) water level in the house reaches one or more of these sensors for it to shut down the main water supply to the building. By this time, the damage would have been done. If The Building user was to splash liquid of any kind on or around the Sensor, for example, water splashing on the floor in the bathroom from a bathtub or shower and it reaches one of these water sensors that are placed on the floor behind, for example, a water closet, the sensor would then trigger, and ultimately send a signal to shut the main water valve off to the main water supply to the home or building. Another example would be if the Building user was to need to clean the floor surface with a liquid cleaning solution, and the liquid cleaning solution, (for example water and bleach or ammonia) was to come into contact with one of the sensors placed on the floor surface around the water dependent appliance, then the sensor would again ultimately send a signal to prematurely terminate the main water supply to the building, not only prematurely terminating the water supply to the building, but also misleading the Building user that there was a water leak when there was not.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,788 also includes a system for detecting Liquid gas leaks, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,647 includes a smoke, carbon monoxide & temperature detection as well as water leak detection. U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,088 discloses a system for only monitoring the point of entry of a Water heater to the point of exit of the water heater. This water leak detection system is only valuable if the water heater leaks, and not if there is water leak in any other part of the home of building. U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,774 discloses a system that not only times the water usage from the time it starts moving in the main water supply line, but also counts the gallons used during a normal day. If the water is used for an extensive period of time that is not the usual amount of time, for instance, an extended shower, then the system would then time out, and shut the main water supply to the building off. If the normal days water usage was to increase for some reason, for example, more showers were to take place during a normal day than usual, thereby using more gallons then normal, the system would then count more gallons then is normally used in a normal day, and then shut off the main water supply to the building as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,264 discloses a system that includes motion sensors in every room of a home or building, that includes a water dependent appliance. The main water valve on the main water supply line to the building is normally shut off, thereby not allowing water to flow through the main water supply line, and when someone was to enter a room where one of these motion sensors was located, the motion sensor would sense the presence of someone in the room, and the motion sensor would allow the main water valve on the main water supply line to open, therefore allowing water to flow though the main water line to the water dependent appliance if so requested. This system has many different ways of allowing water to flow in undesirable locations. If the building users were present and entering in and out of locations where these motion sensors were located in the building, and there was a leak in a water supply line in a location anywhere in the home or building. The system would allow the leak to continue until the present building user was aware of the leak and shut the main water supply valve off. Or if there was a leak, and the Present user was not to enter any of the rooms where the motion sensors were located for an extended period of time. Every time that the user was to re-enter a room with a motion sensor in it, the motion sensor would then allow the main water valve to open, thus allowing water to flow through the main water supply line, and ultimately to the leak, then leak would then continue, until the user left the room, and or the sensor timed out. This would continue until the present user would discover the leak and shut off the main water valve to the building. If the occupant of the building had an animal, for example, a cat or dog that stayed in the building for any period of time, then if the animal was to enter a room with a motion sensor in it, then the leak would be also allowed to continue leaking until the animal left the room with the motion sensor, and or it timed out. Every time the animal would walk past the motion sensor the water would be allowed to leak in the building until the animal left the presence of the motion sensor, or the motion sensor timed out. U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,613 discloses a system that sensors placed in pans under water dependent appliances, that have level sensors installed in them. If the water level reaches a certain height, then the water system would then shut off the main water supply to the building. It also includes a pipe wrap that includes sensors, that wraps around the main water supply line to the building. If a water pipe leaks, then the sensors in the wrap would detect it and shut off the water supply to the building. Never the less, all of the above mentioned systems are inferior and different from the disclosed invention, which very inexpensively monitors the water system from the point of entry, to the point of disposal, without setting water sensors on the floor around or under water dependent appliances, wrapping the entire water piping system with expensive wrap with sensors built in to it, Installing pans under water dependent appliances with sensors built in to it, timing and counting gallons of water usage, or motion sensors placed in rooms that include water dependent appliances. U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,750 uses a float and solenoid system to control a shut off in the event of a water leak. U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,302 discloses an over flow detection device for use with a water heater. U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,727 discloses an apparatus that starts a preset timer when flow is sensed through the flow sensor. When the flow of liquid has flowed longer that the preset time of the circuit, then the valve will automatically shut off the supply.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,088 to Mallet addresses this problem with a water leak detection system which uses a water flow sensing device to shut off a valve on the incoming water line when water flow in the line is detected. The system cannot be used during periods of normal water usage since the water flow which results, for example, when a simple faucet is turned on would activate the system and thereby shut off the supply of water. Accordingly, this system is only realistically useable when the home owner intends to be away from home for an extended period of time or does not expect to use the system, for example at night. However, use of the system at night is not realistic either since most homeowners use bathroom facilities at night. An investigation of this prior art shows that most of the patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,472, U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,347, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,561 generate audible alarms to signal a detected leak. Of these U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,472, U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,347, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,561 additionally disclose the use of solenoid-actuated valves in the water supply line. U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,750 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,302 also disclose the use of solenoid-actuated valves to cut off a water supply. U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,605 point out that deposits that accumulate in pipes and valves over a period of time may impede the actuation of solenoid-type valves. Also avoiding the use of solenoid actuated valves is U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,022 which incorporates a ball valve in the water supply line. To hold the ball valve in an open position it is coupled to a rotor and a spring is attached to the rotor exerting a counterclockwise torque on the rotor. The rotor is then locked in a valve-open position by a latching arm. The end of the latching arm contacts a trip arm that receives it's retaining torque from a wire spring. A trip wire actuates the trip arm. This trip wire is a metallic memory alloy wire which contracts when heated. Heating is effected by a circuit actuated by the water detector. As a consequence the latch arm is released and the rotor rotates to a valve-closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,973 discloses a ball valve. This valve controls flow into a hot water tank by using a mechanical drive in conjunction with a multiplayer moisture sensor which incases the water tank liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,563 and its counter part U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,070 which also includes an solenoid-actuated valve, incorporates flap type flow sensors located in the water line in order to sense the flow of water. The main water valve, an solenoid-actuated valve, is a normally closed valve, requires power to open the valve, and only opens when one of the flow/pressure/sensors located at or near an water dependent appliance is activated. When one of the flow/pressure sensors is activated, it sends electrical current to the circuitry to open and “hold open” the “normally closed” solenoid-actuated water valve, thus sending water through the system. This system also has a timed out period and learning periods for each sensor, pressure switches, and temperature sensors as well. This system requires that the water pipes retain its normal water pressure during the time in which the water in not in use, in order for the flow/pressure sensors to trigger when a water dependent appliance is requesting water. If the pressure drops in the system for any reason while the water in not in use, (ie dripping faucet, shower head, running toilet due to a bad flap, etc. . . . ) then when water is requested from a water dependent appliance, the pressure in the water pipes will not be enough to trigger the flow sensor in order to ultimately turn the main water valve “on” and receive water to the water dependent appliance that was requesting it. It states that it “the system also thus periodically replenishes itself to compensate for a small tolerable leaks”. This seems to contradict other statements in this patent that states, “this system can sense even small leaks”. If water is requested and not received, due to the confusion of what is a “small tolerable leak”, there would be no clear sign as to why the water system was not allowing the water valve to open, intern letting water to run through the water pipes to its requested location. A few examples of this are that, the pressure could have dropped due to a faucet drip, shower drip, or etc. . . . Power could have been interrupted to the main water valve, thus making it impossible for it to open, or there could actually be a small or large water leak in the pipe. This system also requires the main water valve to open (and be held open for the duration of the water consumption) every time water is requested, and every time it needed to “replenish itself”. This would open and close the main water valve at least dozens of times a day, every day 365 days a year, which would not only consume excessive power, but would also deteriorate the life expectancy of the main water valve, and circuitry tremendously.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,920 and No. 5,503,175, also discloses predetermined time and or “timed out” periods before shutting off the water supply to the home or building.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,493, No. 6,209,576, No. 5,920,265 disclose timing and or counting the predetermined gallons of water before shutting down the water supply to the home or building.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,051 discloses timing the water as well as placing a listening device in the waste pipe in order to hear if there is water running in the waste pipe simultaneously with the running of the water from the potable pressurized water line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,453 discloses a system that also places water sensors at or near the water dependent appliances in order to count the gallons that pass through each sensor, sending the information to the main computer in order to store data from each water dependent appliance so that when that particular appliance requests water, it will start counting gallons until it reaches its usual use of gallons of water for that appliance. If it exceeds that number, it will then shut the water off to the system. Unfortunately, if you decide to shower, water the grass or plants, wash the car, longer than usual, then this system could automatically shut the supply of water off to the house or building prematurely.
Other Patents disclosing apparatus and systems for preventing of shutting off fluid flow are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,231; 3,506,033; 2,160,766; 2,012,351; 3,800,827; 1,3173,966; and 1,956,010.
All the abovementioned patents are incorporated herein by reference.
All the aforementioned patents disclose systems for preventing fluid flow in one situation or another, a need still exists for a system which is capable of minimizing the leakage of conductive fluid into a home or building simply and inexpensively at all times, twenty four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days a year, whether the user is present or away. Including these benefits, but not limited to them, the ability to manually shut down your water supply for whatever reason by pushing a button on the centrally located control panel. Always knowing the status of the system by reading the centrally located control panel. By using a D.C. powered system to not only provide safety, but also to save on power cost. Including the ability of the system to notify the user by way of telephonic communication of a automatic shut down of the water system to the home or building, due to a leak detection, and or the excessive use of water, and also the ability for the user to shut the water supply off to the home by telephonic communication for safety, or for excessive water usage, without using a security service agency, saving time and the monthly charges of that service. Never having to worry about the main water supply valve freezing up, with the automatic valve cycle system built in. Minimal moving parts, to prevent frequent servicing of the system. A system that will also protect freezing water pipes from leaking as well without additional equipment.
Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieve or fulfills the purpose of the disclosed “Conductive Fluid leak detection system and automatic shut off valve”, the present invention, and is an improvement over all prior art.